[Morris "Type 1"]

Hey!

I was diagnosed about a week ago as being type-1, short visit to hospital and a week later I feel quite great for the most part.

Althogh some meals have me feeling hot, lethargic and sleepy.. Mostly though I have it under control.

Confused about the whole carb, sugar, thing. I feel like I may be eatting insufficient calories also.

I can't help but feel like this is a blessing. I needed something drastic to happen in my life I feel.

Anyway, Hi everyone

[Subby]

It seems you've been blessed with a great attitude too! Welcome, ask away, let us know what it is about carbs and sugars that is being confusing. I'm sure a few people will pipe in (although there are a few different directions people come from, that's for sure).

If you hang out around here, my advice be sure to educate yourself thoroughly on the difference between type 1 and type 2 especially in regards to underlying mechanics, and how diet works. It tends to get a bit lost or hidden at times... it can be very similar in many ways, but in other ways, quite different...

The most important thing for you now is to learn... not necessarily the "rules", but learn as in gather and consider information and approaches. For some, control of type 1 might not be too much of a hassle, it might fall into place. For others.... do you like to experiment? It may well be the tool that really gets you places with your health. It really can be a very, very individual condition to manage.

[Morris "Type 1"]

Hi

Thank you for taking the time to reply, it is kind of strange to read through my original post because right now I don't feel so positive.

It frustrates me that I haven't been active today, nor yesterday, when i know full well that I must.

Besides that though!

What I am confused about regarding sugar and carbs is that, at first I was only looking at the section on products which said..

of which sugars:

I was kind of ignoring all of the other stuff.

I don't know if that is the part I need to look at since breifly here I noticed people have spoken of reducing carbs. *quite lost*

How much fat, sugar, carb, salt.. etc should I consume to be safe and well.. I don't fancy complications that I hear are likely. Organs failing, amputation.. eye sight etcetc

I am happy to experiment as long as it isn't going to harm me lol.

I am a "hacker" by nature, I enjoy understanding how things work.

Funny, I feel my mood changing for the better already.

Also I would like to know some basic things such as, how long is it safe to use insulin in one area without changing site. Bruising normal? What happens if some how some of the insulin goes into a vein .. is that even possible.

hehe

Also I hear its important for a type-1 diabetic to stick to a schedule, do I need to? I am quite happy to do so, just curious really, how much flexibility is available to me etc.

Lastly, blood glucose monitors.. they can be something like +/- 3.0 .. so if its good to be at 6.0 and hypo can occur at about 4.0 .. what if I am at 4.0 and the machine says 7.0.. I will never know until its too late.

fun fun

thanks for writing back!

[Subby]

That's quite the cookie jar of questions, eh. You've touched on some very big questions. I get the feeling you haven't really been given adequate education at all... makes me angry. I know it seems a bit old hat, considering we're on a forum and all, but I think you should look into getting a good book, two examples being "Think Like a Pancreas" by Gary Sneider, or "Using Insulin" by John Walsh. I can't stress how much you need to ground yourself in some really good information.

Briefly, RE the carbs, you need to remember that different people here are doing different things. It's made even more complicated by the fact that philosophies overlap for different reasons. Sometime someone needs to write a simple 101 on positions and philosophies of diet and approaches to diabetes that elucidates the differences, the overlaps and why.

But I digress. Here we are in simple terms.

The majority of people (and of diabetics in the world) on the forum are type 2. This is at base, a problem of not being able to utilise glucose from diet and glucose generated in the body (all the time). This problem is called insulin resistance - the body can't use insulin well. Reducing carbs is a major tactic for type 2, it reduces the pressure on the body to produce insulin, and often results in improved BGs all by itself.

OK, lets switch to type 1. Type one is where the pancreas ceases to produce insulin. So rather than being a problem of the body resisting insulin, it's instead a problem of the body not having insulin. Insulin therapy is a major answer to this - you provide the insulin, and the body can access the glucose, from diet and from within. You will hear people talk about excess insulin as a reason to reduce carbs: for the typical type 1, they aren't actually taking excess insulin compared to the rest of the population. is that a good thing in the long run or not? That's a good question, but not one of absolute immediate concern.

But... insulin replacement, of course it's not that simple. Insulin therapy is replacing a responsive, finetuned, automatic biological process. It's like using a hammer to play the piano, non diabetics being unconscious maestros. Three big questions jump out. What size hammer are you using, is it adept at hitting keys? How good are you at hitting keys with the hammer? And what tune are you playing?

Hammer time: the effectiveness of taking insulin can vary a lot from person to person. Many factors. Not just testing, reacting, adjusting, fine tuning your doses both in general and to certain foods, but also how well your body responds, how your body reacts to carbs, stress, temperature, activity, etc.... Your basal insulin is just as important to get right as your boluses, by the way.

The tune: You may be giving yourself a difficult melody to try and play. This could be in the form of too many carbs or the wrong kinds of carbs. Or, as you allude to later, through a lifestyle or activity level that is too variable.

One answer potentially lies in simplifying the tune and reducing the need for the hammer. Lowering carbs from the "standard" dietary guidelines out there, right down to "low carb". Just to give you my opinion right here and now: it really depends on how problematic you find carbs to be for your body in achieving good BGs, (and yes, it varies, wildly, from all reports) as far as how significantly lowering carbs is "the only" or "a compelling" option. Let your tester tell you, for the moment. Although you need to be sure you are using your insulin well, hence the need to learn the wheres and wherefores of the best insulin practices.

Yes, there are other reasons to look into and consider low carb, beyond blood sugar and into general health - and lifestyle, and virtual religion. Look into that later once you are getting a handle on this! There is no reason a type 1 should take reliance on insulin to mean they have a moral obligation to become a low carber overnight. Yes, that can be what happens.

It's safe to say that finding a happy relationship with carbs, all types of carbs, how much to eat, which ones to avoid from a few to virtually all of them, finding YOUR happy relationship with carbs, is one of your primary tasks in seeking good BGs and minimising the impact both in the long term, and in your daily life living with diabetes.

But... there can be other challenges too. And are certainly other areas to take just as seriously. An example being the (sometimes) very tricky and complex question of basal coverage and basal insulin.

OK... I hope some of that makes some sense. As I said, I think some reading would wisely be in your future. A quick response to your questions specifically though:

Carbs vs sugars. The idea that sugar is the only carb that's going to significantly impact your BG, is very outdated. Virtually all carbs are going to impact your BG. But they may well do so at different rates. And heres the kicker: it's quite different for everyone. Yay. Thus the idea of experimentation. You might find certain bread spikes you faster than your insulin can keep up, but certain pasta works just fine. Look into the GI index for some suggestions of how different carbs may work for "most" or "many" (or maybe just "some"?) people.

OK, you say "How the eck do I know what works for me?" Test. Test. Test. Your tester is there to teach you... study well. A1c is your second indicator, get to understand it well. it is very useful, if not the be all and end all.

Re dosaging. You are probably on a set dose? Learn and utilise carb counting and an I:C ratio, to have a better way of giving yourself the right insulin at the time. See those books and a decent up to date endo for details (and this forum).

Fats, sugars, health, etc. Put it aside, just eat relatively balanced, while you work out the carb approach that works for you and get your BG under control. (And while you sort out long acting insulin or basal issues, if you have them). Come back to the health later when you know your BGs are not going to tip over in a few hours. Everything you mention, all the diabetic complications are caused by out of whack BGs. That's numero uno for now. Get that blood sugar controlled.

Sites: rotate regularly if you can. try not to overdo it in one place. That said, it usually takes a while, like perhaps a few months of hammering a site, to really cause issues. But you do want to avoid that. Do you have a good list of sites to use and try out?

Vein: really unlikely if you stick to the usual sites. I took something like 25k injections on MDI. I can't remember hitting a vein. Well, maybe once or twice, causing a bleeder but not really BG problems. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen I guess.

Flexibility: see all the individual possibilities in playing a piano with a hammer, what tune, what sized hammer, etc. Yes, the analogy is silly, but the impression of individual ability and different basic setup/attributes is not. Maybe. Maybe not.

BG monitors: better to think as a variance of +- 20%. So the smaller the number, the smaller the variance there should be. The scenario you mention shouldn't happen. That aside, you should get all sorts of indications you are going low, so you'll be onto it before it's a problem... if your insulin therapy is reasonable, if you're generally doing the right things. But with the error factor in monitors, it's just something we have to put up with,for now.

[Subby]

Morris, I get ambitious at times in trying to cover what I see as important bases: I don't know if that message was more confusing than useful, it was certainly hard on my brain to try and meet your question head on, though something I try and do.

In the interests of simplicity, I just wanted to put the important points this way, too:

Cutting or limiting carb portions and considering carbs, not just sugars, is something you should be considering well be a definite tactic you can harness, many T1s find it useful in maintaining good BG results as it takes pressure off the insulin therapy. Often for me it's a case of limiting the amount of carbs at one sitting - I find there is a point my system can overload and the insulin can't keep up, even if I've bolused an amount that "should" be correct. Do keep an eye on total carb amount of all food you eat, and take note of foods that spike you... it's your choice to try and find a correct bolus amount for them, or to simply avoid them.

Dosaging to the grams of carbs you do eat, may well be a lot better than a "fixed" dosage per meal - it gives you a system to work with. You can also take better control by learning how to take correction boluses, when you are high between meals.

Good luck with it all. Seriously, you'll get into the swing and have every chance for a long happy life. Diabetes control has improved a great deal, don't listen to depressing old tales (though do keep in touch with what's going on and the fact your future health does rely on good control).

[Morris "Type 1"]

Thank you so much for the replies Subby.

The frustration you mention regarding the lack of information provided to me, well I was one of the ones that was able to see, walk, talk and think at the hospital and they severely lacked the ability to provide proper care.

I was transfered from the first ward I was in and the nurse wouldn't provide me with insulin because she believed it wasn't on my paperwork.. I urged her to check it and sure enough she some how missed it.

They were providing meals which in my opinion were bad for diabetics, especially providing a yogurt that clearly stated sugar as an added ingredient.

I was also handed someone elses insulin before I left, who knows what mess that could have caused.

The diabetic nurse and dietition, both failed to really provide me with any thing substantial. I was told more than once its ok to continue eating how I was except adjust to be a bit more healthy.. no consideration whatsoever in relation to the carbs or even telling me what to be aware of.

My dosage is currently 16 for glargine and 4-4-6 of novorapid, the diebetic nurse told me to increase the glargine to 18 but I have been a bit nervous about that. Quite scared of going into the realm of low blood sugar. I was at 4.8 last night and that was enough to send fear through me.

I have slightly 'tweaked' the novorapid at times, bringing it up to 8 for meal time a couple of times. To make this worse though I have the most unreliable memory known to man, one day I will be able to remember every aspect of the injections clearly and then others I will doubt I have had the correct dosage. Sometimes I will inject 4 units for dinner and then remember, so I then inject another 2 units to be safe.

The other night I forgot my glargine, then 2 hours later remembered so I took it.. then moments later became frightened because I then doubted myself and wondered if just maybe I had already taken it. Scary stuff.

Hopefully this msg isn't growing too much to read

A lot of what you have said seems to make sense, not sure on acronyms though such as MDI.

I am going to have a look around to see if I can find a copy of those 2 books in a minute, it will be great to learn more about how specifically the pancreas works etc.

Is there a way to conveniently count servings of carbs without needing to weigh them first?

Fascinating analogy, it has made things abundantly clear.

I read somewhere on here that there could be a honeymoon period, I am curious if the process of the pancreas is well orchestrated will it still provide insulin even though the body may well have sufficient quantity already from the injections?

The communication has been shockingly poor.

I have found myself a little lost in my reply, so I send what I have written thus far.

[Subby]

Sorry, MDI is Multiple Daily Injections, as in the approach you are on, the most common treatment of type 1. I'm on a pump now.

Hey Morris, where are you? The care you mention is beyond bad, it's frightening.

I'll take it that care around you might be really lacking in general. There is one good thing though, and that is that you can be really quite self sufficient with this condition, although finding a good doc for the medical side (tests, changing meds or insulins etc) really is very beneficial. You should try and see an endocrinologist - they are specialists who deal with diabetes - either regularly (3 month or 6 month or the like) or, if you can find a general doctor who is willing to travel with you somewhat in your diabetic travels, in getting regular blood tests, discussing your control and taking care of medecine etc, then that's an option too.

But the vast majority of the work must come from you, in the way you handle this day to day. So in a way, although you've been through a truly terrible induction, it's good to be finding your feet and your strength yourself, anyway.

First, a couple of comments from my perspective.

Your tweaking off your own bat, shows you are emminently suited to dealing with this condition and well set up to find really good solutions that will lead to control and a minimisation of the condition in your life. If you are someone who has an internal compass about what is responsible tweaking, if you trust yourself to be in charge - that's fantastic. Know, that this is likely to give you run ins with the medical fraternity from time to time. Understand that this grief is not at all uncommon for those who know they need to take control, but come up against a system that's not appreciative or receptive of them taking control of their health (and life).

This again feeds back to the medical help you should seek (and it can be a long search indeed) - the kind of endo or GP who listens to your findings, and is supportive of intelligent, reasonable self management. If you don't get those indications, then move on.

Ok. Lets talk a bit about the dosaging method you've been put on. it's quite outdated, the idea that you can take a one size fits all, guestimate roughly the same carbs per meal, and maintain good control. It really doesn't work that well for many. OK, right now I will just put in a qualifier there that some people seem to use it well, especially after years of experimentation. But, I think you might do well to skip it entirely.

Now, what you are doing with it sounds perfectly sensible - tweaking it to produce the best results. But, thing is, you can only get so far with that, it's like playing with big mittens on.

One of the big reasons it would be good to get one of those books, (Amazon should have them) is to really read up on the practise of carb counting and using that to dose for each meal. You really wnat a doc to be suportive of that too, if possible. I'll come to the question of "must I weigh everything" in a bit. Here's how carb counting works as a system:

You arrive at a central number for yourself, the number of grams of carbs, that one unit of your insulin will "cover". There are a few ways to arrive there, and people can vary quite a lot in what I:C ration they require. Once you have ballpark you can adjust this at any time.

A typical example might be an insulin to carb ratio of 10:1. So for every 10 grams of carbs, you need one unit of insulin administered.

Then, having counted up the grams you eat for the meal or snack, you can then mathematically deduce a dise to cover that meal. Eating 25g of cereal and 10g of milk? That's 35g.

35g / 10g = 3.5 units of insulin required for that meal.

If you had a big pasta being 50g, and couldn't help but have some huge dessert, 40g, then that's 90g.

90g / 10g = 9 units required for that meal.

If you eat a salad sandwich for a snack between meals, you see from the pack that each slice is 10g and the veggies you feel don't really count, then that's 20g.

20g / 10g = 2 units for the sandwich.

etc etc.

Now, one of the beauties of this system is that instead of thinking of adjusting for each meal, each food, each time, each... etc etc, you can adjust your I:C ratio and make changes across the board with a minimum of fuss.

Now, I:C and carb counting is by no means foolproof, in fact some find it frustratingly doesn't provide good answers. And, I think it is likely you'll need to modify your approach for different carbs - eliminate some, restrict others, dose more for this, dose less for that. For many others it provides a very good springboard to arrive at a decent dose, I guess I am suggesting it may well be a good thing for you to look into as you try and sort out how to make insulin work for you. I would want you to learn more about it through a solid source, make up your own mind and decide for yourself how to go about shifting to that system if you want to.

As for weighing: yes, weighing can be very useful. But, there are a few ways you can get to at least a good approximation of carbs: read the label, depending on service size etc, you can divide it up physically to keep track of the carbs. Have one of those cheap little books you can get that have carb ratings, to look up. Sit down with your favourite foods and use the search engine on such sites as CalorieKing - Diet and weight loss. Calorie Counter and more and write yourself a little short list to carry or have around.

Pretty soon you start to get more familiar with carb amounts, and it's not so important to weight every time, you develop other tricks. And that's coming from someone with a terrible memory.

Speaking of memory. I would not find it surprising if your memory has been affected by recent events. The sickness that comes with diagnosis can be hard of the body. Adjusting your blood sugars down again can be hard on the body. Fluctuating blood sugars can be hard on the body. And, by extension, all of that applies to the mind. I guess don't stress if you find yourself a bit flaky until you get to some more even BG (blood glucose) control. Ok, so that will happen by - being less flaky and not stuffing up and being smart about it, you say, and that's true. But try to concentrate on slow improvement and taking it easy on yourself, sure and slow progress is bound to happen. It is a bit of a balancing act, instead of stressing and rocking the boat, you need to believe a bit in the stabilizing power of gravity I guess

That said, be sure not to double your long acting dose or anything, maybe for the moment you can have some kind of "I've done it" system like a tick on a piece of paper, or moving your gear somewhere different once it's done.

Lets just assume for a moment you are a bit like me though, and don't generally have a great memory for detail (I am similar in that I will remember every detail sometimes and be clueless other times). It's good to try and find a way to log at least some of your findings through the day, so that you can look back on it and draw some conclusions, make progress. I admit I've had a lot of trouble over the years trying to do that consistently, I lose log books, forget to do it, etc etc. I guess you gotta just give some approaches a go and see if you can get some joy. it really helps to build on the bits and pieces of knowledge you gain.

You can see that it helps to be motivated and try things, but may well be a negative thing to be a perfectionist, when it comes to this condition. It's good for a type 1 to foster some zen, even while they get frustrated as how issues can thwart the best control, and even while they do their best to do some good work and stay committed. The whole motivation game is a whole other thing. Persistent positivity (if grounded by practicality) is in my opinion, by far the best weapon.

Re the honeymoon period, it's pretty common to get a period of a few weeks up to a year where insulin needs are much less as the pancreas still produces. It's hard to say with individual cases, for example we can't look at the doses you have mentioned and say "you are in honeymoon" because people's bodies can need wildly varying amounts of insulin just "because". Well, if you mentioned just taking a couple of units of insulin, it may be fair to guess you were in honeymoon. But as it is it's not right to guess from the surface.

You can get a test done to check your pancreas function, called a C-peptide. It's not all that common, but know that it's possible. Again, might be something to take up with an endo.

But, in the end, what you'll be dictated by - always, is insulin needs to stay as in control as possible. So, just say you are in honeymoon and you fall out of it, you'll find your insulin is inadequate and will need to adjust dose up to compensate. It's messy, tricky... at least it was for me... there is really no way to do it except good judgement and trial and error.

I just wanted to mention there can be other factors with insulin therapy that can throw spanners in the works. Rather than try to list them, its more a suggestion to speak up, here, at the docs, do the research, on specific issues you are having.

As for feeling lost in reply, don't worry about it in the least. You seem to be doing a great job making sense out of this. It's safe to say that many people get stuck - for example, consider the prevalent attitude that the doc knows best at all times, and you must never change dosage without their 100% blessing, no matter how much your judgement tells you to take control - those people in the wrong situation are royally stuffed.

Breath, you're doing great, take your time thinking about and tackling these issues.

[Morris "Type 1"]

Originally Posted by Subby

Hey Morris, where are you? The care you mention is beyond bad, it's frightening.

It was on the NHS at St Helier Hospital in Surrey, just south of London.

I don't have any kind of insurrance due to normally not really needing any, however suddenly I feel a sense of urgency to explore that avenue after the treatment I received.

The GP that I have started to see is really good in terms of attitude, he seems to have an attention to detail and keen to make sure patients are treated reasonably. He appologised on behalf of the people that I encountered and he will be writing a complaint to someone at the hospital, I forget who.

Do you happen to know if an endocrinologist is the same as a diabetic Nurse in the UK?

I'm hoping that my GP will allow me to obtain enough testing strips and things to keep on the ball, I guess that will be the first sign in regard to his willingness to support me.

This again feeds back to the medical help you should seek (and it can be a long search indeed) - the kind of endo or GP who listens to your findings, and is supportive of intelligent, reasonable self management. If you don't get those indications, then move on.

I really must listen to the moving on part, I have on many occasions let things go, but not any more.

But try to concentrate on slow improvement and taking it easy on yourself, sure and slow progress is bound to happen. It is a bit of a balancing act, instead of stressing and rocking the boat, you need to believe a bit in the stabilizing power of gravity I guess

Taking it slow terrifies me, my friend who has been extremely supportive and making sure I write lists of questions and generally just being there, told me on multiple occasions to take it easy and not rush in to too many avenues of change.

I found it impossible to listen to. I guess maybe, I am starting to slowly get the message, reluctantly.

In your log do you keep a record of what you have consumed as well as the sugars etc?

I have a log book that they provided me with but it doesn't show foods and I have become a little bit lazy at listening everything I eat. Today, I will fix that. Bad me.

You can get a test done to check your pancreas function, called a C-peptide. It's not all that common, but know that it's possible. Again, might be something to take up with an endo.

Okay I will definitely do this!

It's safe to say that many people get stuck - for example, consider the prevalent attitude that the doc knows best at all times.

I must admit this is certainly something that I don't subscribe to, I feel that so called professionals in every field are almost certainly lacking in skills required to fill their role.

Breath, you're doing great, take your time thinking about and tackling these issues.

I will try


I am quite fortune that for the most part I can filter out how I feel so that I feel fine, there are situations though such as meal time at the hospital where I felt like crying because of the sheer frustration of being fed sugar laden meals. Even if I was over reacting, without the prior knoledge of what constitutes a healthy diabetic meal it was very easy to panic. The catering staff couldn't offer _any_ advice so I pretty much assumed whatever I was receiving was bad and I limited my consumption drastically.

Once or twice I had just reached the end of my patience and consumed what I was given with the exception of the yogurt.

Anyway, enough ranting.

How did you find things when you were diagnosed?

[xMenace]

Welcome Morris,

Glad you looked for help from others like you. IMO that's the umber one way to educate yourself.

[Morris "Type 1"]

Thank you for warm welcome

I must admit it is starting to become clear to me the value of this community, I would say that it has lowered my worries considerably already.

[Subby]

Morris, I quite a confused and withdrawn teenager with my DX... I had a lot of other things going on. I accepted it well, but in all honesty my diabetic career was rather miserable for many years, despite trying hard and applying what intelligence I could muster to it. I get very affected by BG fluctuations every day, mentally and physically, and I had problems with injections working well for a few physical reasons, which was not clear for a long time (and in fact the professionals went out of their way to minimise and evade from potential problems with the therapy, and maximise any problem they could find... with me). It was not until the pump I found real relief and stabilisation, and not until this forum I had a place to discover and share ideas with other diabetics beyond a tenuous connection. I've always found diabetics very cagey and closed off when I've run into them face to face. Kind of like prisoners who recognise a fellow inmate and just don't feel the need to socialise with them, or something like that This place is extremely valuable. I also like the opportunity to aide people to avoid going through what I did, in dealing with a very dodgy situation for a long time from lack of knowledge and lack of medical rigorousness (or, empathy, might be another word for docs listening and perhaps helping a bit more effectively). I should say most people don't have all of my brand of troubles anyway: most people do have bodies a little more conducive to the normal approaches. I don't say that to be "special", but in relief for most people! But it's just one set of issues amongst many when it comes to this condition.

Re the logging, I've tried many things over the years. I guess, whatever is affecting your BG, it's good to gather info on. Depending on what it is, you may be able to make adjustments and progress with just a few days of a repeated scenario - it's not like you need to commit to logging your life for months on end without rest. Food and dose, obviously, but you might find things like stress, activity, work, sport, well, anything, might be worth keeping an eye on. Yes, depressingly pretty much anything can have an effect. This does again seem to vary between people, hopefully you've got a stable little ecosystem to deal with there with your body.

[Morris "Type 1"]

Would you be comfortable with talking about the other non-dx issues?

lol, I love your way with words, ecosystem

I noticed today and yesterday my sugar levels seem to be way better than they have been.. I feel generally more well too.

I had a banana with my breakfast this morning which shot my sugar up, as I had kind of got a bit greedy.

Now that I am feeling more confident I noticed my portion sizes have increased, although its mainly salad.

I have pretty much been hungry throughout, so I think I am not restricting myself so much in terms of bulk.. Still not really sure where I am going with it all but for the most part things seem to be smooth right now hehe.

Tomorrow I have to be up early, I have a non-dx related appointment in the morning then at 12pm I am going to go to a martial arts class that I have started.. I am concerned though about the irregular exercise. Plus it is very expensive so I may not be able to continue it.. but we shall see.

I'm lucky that you are willing to share what you know and be there to offer insight that otherwise would be years away from me. It means a lot and has taken a lot of the pressure away.

Thank you

[Delphinus]

Wow, Morris, I am getting dizzy.

I feel like I am watching a tennis match between yourself and Subby.

Welcome aboard!

I am sure you have already discovered this corner of the net is loaded with information and people who willingly share their knowledge and experiences.

[jenb]

Hi Morris, and welcome. Subby has provided you with wonderful bunch of information - I don't think I can improve on it much. I'll just encourage you to do a few things:

Test, test, and test again so you can determine how various foods affect you.

I found that keeping a log of food, insulin doses and blood sugar was invaluable in the beginning.

Read a lot about food and nutrition. Books by Jenny Brand Miller, the doyen of the glycemic index, are great! She'll help you understand how to use carbohydrates to your advantage (although some of her foods are a bit high in carbs for me). I also find that the Zone plan formulated by Barry Sears is excellent for both carb control and weight loss. Also find a resource like Calorie King (check out their website) to give you detailed information about the nutritional content of just about anything you eat.

Get a food scale for your kitchen and use if faithfully. Mine even comes on vacation with me!

If you haven't already found them, pick up Think Like a Pancreas by Gary Scheiner and Using Insulin by John Walsh. Each book has details on how to conduct basal testing and set bolus doses. This can be used to augment the information you get from your doctor and/or diatetes educator.

Give yourself some slack in the beginning....you have a lot to learn. It may be overwhelming at first, but know that you have a lot of company in that. Everyone of us went through it, and we've lived to tell the tale!

Good luck. Glad you found this fantastic resource.

Jen

[xMenace]

Originally Posted by Morris "Type 1"

I have pretty much been hungry throughout, so I think I am not restricting myself so much in terms of bulk.. Still not really sure where I am going with it all but for the most part things seem to be smooth right now hehe.

I recommend you start your own food research. Start with my signature. Many of us have gone the low-carb route. I think I've proved to myself that high saturated fats are not only good for us but even necessary, that large quantities of seed-based carbohydrates, mostly refined, is the evil in our diets, and that insulinemia (prolonged high levels of insulin) is the cause of most of our western diseases and obesity.

I've seen time and again people on these diets improve their sugars, their weight, and their lipid panels -- totally contrary to the rhetoric schpeeled at us. Much literature and web sources corroborate this. Why our health teams keep pushing carbs on us is a disquieting, frustrating mystery.

Things to google and read (all points of view!).
"low-carb diets"
"Gary Taubes"
"health benefits of cholesterol"
"VLDL and Tryglicerides"
"VLDL Tryglicerides chd"